Phnom Penh , Cambodia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- During the Khmer Rouge regime , I was put in prison at the age of 15 for picking mushrooms in the rice fields to feed my pregnant sister . Under the Khmer Rouge , everything belonged to the Revolution -- and picking up anything from the ground without their permission was a crime .

For several hours in front of about one hundred villagers , the Khmer Rouge publicly tortured me . I did not cry , because I was told not to . Then , they put me in prison . Months later , after running out of lies to tell the prison chief while begging for my life , one of the older prisoners stepped forward and pleaded to the prison chief on my behalf .

Surprisingly , the prison chief agreed and I was released . I came to learn much later , however , that in exchange for me , they killed him .

My experience is a mere footnote to the millions of other Cambodians who suffered and died at the hands of this regime , but it is illustrative of the ongoing struggle to find justice and closure .

35 years on , top Khmer Rouge leaders face justice in Cambodia

Trial ` will not bring back the dead '

When the verdict is announced in the first trial of the Khmer Rouge tribunal 's second case , there will be no winners and no cause for celebration . While the occasion marks an enormous achievement in Cambodia and the international community 's long struggle to assert the primacy of human rights , peace , and the rule of law , it is a victory that can only be marked with somber contemplation .

We have come a long way in forging an international system to meet the challenge of responding to and punishing mass atrocities , but judgments do not bring back the dead or restore trust .

No action can assuage the anguish , sadness , and regret that haunts the survivors to this day .

Over 35 years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime , we still see the effects from this period in almost every facet of Cambodian society . From physical scars and disabilities , to trauma and psychosocial conditions , the horrors of this period continue to manifest themselves in survivors , families , communities and institutions .

Suffering under the Khmer Rouge

Many estimates found that more than a million people died under the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979 from execution , disease , starvation and overwork .

See places where Cambodia 's shocking past is on show

Like many families , my mother , my deaf sister , Keo Kolthida Ekkasakh , and I , all suffered under the Khmer Rouge . And my mother lost all three of her brothers , one sister , one daughter and many grandchildren under the regime . Nearly 60 of our family members are still missing today .

Society is still divided , and the memories of this period -- even memories of kindness -- carry a heavy burden .

I will never forget the kind act of the man in prison .

I do not even know the name of the man who saved my life . I have been searching for his family members for years , in the hope that I can pay my respect for the courage and kindness he showed me .

` Too little , too late '

Achieving true justice in these circumstances is an impossible feat for mankind , and an altogether late endeavor at best .

Time and again , the international community has watched mass atrocities , genocide , and other heinous crimes proceed unchecked .

INTERACTIVE : Five faces of Cambodia 's Khmer Rouge

While our efforts in applying due process in the punishment of genocide and mass atrocities deserve recognition and respect , we should not overlook the paramount need for preventing such crimes before they occur .

Prevention must be the watchword in defining our struggle , and our struggle against evil must begin with courage . We must have the courage to call out inhumanity when it occurs and take steps that prevent such crimes , rather than responding to their aftermath .

We must seize the opportunity to stand up for what is right , no matter the circumstance , because we know that saving millions of lives today speaks far greater for our civilization than issuing verdicts tomorrow .

This verdict regarding the two senior Khmer Rouge leaders matters a great deal to me , as should it for all Cambodians , because it gives some closure -- but closure is too little , too late for many .

If only the international community would exercise the courage and resolve as the man in prison did for me , the world would need fewer verdicts .

In 2013 : Infamous leader during Cambodia genocide dies

@highlight

Youk Chhang was 15 when he survived imprisonment by Khmer Rouge

@highlight

An older prisoner stepped forward to save him who was later killed for his kind act

@highlight

Verdict in Cambodia over two senior Khmer Rouge leaders does n't bring back dead

@highlight

But verdict is enormous achievement in Cambodia